Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2024-08-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-08-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Correction: 122lb cow/calf pair deleted

Weight class

Heifers · summary 400–500 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

400–500 lb heifers averaged $230.00/cwt on 2 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −188.70 against this barn's trailing median of $418.70.

Average price

$230.00

2 head · 418 lb average

Value per head Derived

$960

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$156

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$40.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−30.68

vs WV average

−27.07 vs national

What quality paid 400–500 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	415	250.00	1,038	1thin
Large 1	420	210.00	882	1thin

One grade step is worth $40.00/cwt here — about $156 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 400–500 lb

4 sales

Heifers 400–500 lb: high $434.17, low $411.00, median $418.70 across 4 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 400–500 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale2 hd

230.00

—

WV average3 barns · 44 hd

260.68

−30.68

National average160 barns · 4,841 hd

257.07

−27.07

This barn, trailing median4 sales

418.70

−188.70

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,745	169.00	2,949	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,539	146.27	2,251	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	971	118.61	1,151	6thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,101	$2,017	9

Every lot, as filed

30 lots · USDA AMS · Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, WV

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,035	123.19/cwt	121.00–125.00	1,275	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	955	110.13/cwt	104.00–115.00	1,052	2
Bulls	Medium 1	1100–1150	1,120	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,680	1
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	605	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,240	1
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	445	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,202	1
Bulls	Medium 1	250–300	295	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	885	1
Heifers	Large 1	400–450	420	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	882	1
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	745	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,416	1
Steers	Medium 2	300–350	345	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	759	1
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	395	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	877	1
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	335	220.50/cwt	220.50–220.50	739	2
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	350	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	963	3
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	450	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	968	2
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	525	205.10/cwt	195.00–215.00	1,077	2
Steers	Medium 1	300–350	330	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	990	1
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	325	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	845	2
Steers	Medium 1	800–850	810	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,863	1
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	415	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,038	1
Heifers	Medium 2	250–300	290	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	638	1
Steers	Medium 2	400–450	410	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	779	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 1	300–350	305	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	519	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	885	1,341.38/head	1,275.00–1,400.00	1,341	2
Bulls	—	—	1,745	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,949	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	955	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	907	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	890	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,335	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,539	146.27/cwt	140.00–152.00	2,251	4
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	440	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,232	1
Heifers	Medium 1	250–300	270	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	702	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,212	2,247.15/head	2,100.00–2,450.00	2,247	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	2,115.54/head	1,850.00–2,325.00	2,116	2

How this sale compares

West Virginia weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every West Virginia auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

West Virginia feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →